The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the lettuce parasite outbreak has reached 1,645 domestically acquired cyclosporiasis cases since May 1, 2026, with reports from 34 states. Of the case-patients with available information, 141 have been hospitalized.
The count is far above the 249 cases reported nationally by this time last year. CDC is also reviewing more than 5,100 additional reports to determine whether they are domestically acquired cyclosporiasis.
CDC and FDA
CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and state and local health departments are investigating multistate outbreaks of Cyclospora infections and working to identify the source of illness. That work matters now because the cases span multiple states and are still being sorted into the national total.
CDC said people in the outbreak developed illness after eating food in the United States and did not report travel during the previous 14 days. The agency said case-patients ranged in age from 2 to 95 years, with a median age of 44 years, and 56% were female.
Cyclospora in the United States
Cyclospora causes a gastrointestinal illness that can spread through food or water contaminated with the parasite, and it is not usually spread directly from person to person. CDC said symptoms of cyclosporiasis typically begin about one week after exposure, with onset ranging from 2 to 14 days.
The agency said its annual cyclosporiasis season runs from May 1 to August 31. It also said cases often rise during spring and summer months, which is why the current total has drawn attention before the season has ended.
People in 34 states
CDC said no deaths have been reported. It also said the illness can be severe, even though it is not usually life-threatening, and that laboratory detection can be challenging even in symptomatic patients.
For people with symptoms after eating food in the United States, CDC says clinicians should specifically request testing for Cyclospora, since standard ova and parasite exams may not detect it reliably. The open question now is which food source or sources are driving the 2026 multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak.
